Buddha Statue Postures and Mudras

Buddha statues are read through two things together: posture (asana) and hand gesture (mudra). The three main postures are seated (often in meditation), standing, and reclining (representing the Buddha's passing into parinirvana).

The mudras worth knowing by name are dhyana (meditation, hands resting palm-up in the lap), abhaya (fearlessness/blessing, palm raised outward), bhumisparsha (earth-touching, calling the earth to witness enlightenment), and dharmachakra (teaching, hands at chest height). An exam question naming a mudra is asking you to identify the moment in the Buddha's life it represents - learn the pairs together, not the terms alone.